MTA tries shields to stop subway fare evaders weeks after adding turnstile spikes
The MTA is trying something new to deter subway fare evaders just weeks after installing spikes on some turnstiles.
Four-inch high metal shields were added at the Brooklyn Bridge–City Hall/Chambers Street station, but CBS News New York's cameras still caught people jumping over.
"They don't seem very effective," said subway rider Keith Kelly.
"I don't really understand how it discourages people because you can easily hop over it," said Justin Jimenez, another rider.
Weeks ago, the transit agency installed spiked metal barriers at the 59th Street/Lexington Avenue station as a deterrent.
While the barriers may not stop everyone from getting a free subway ride, some straphangers are hopeful.
"I think it could work. It could work. We'll have to see," Ann Marie Edden said.
For now, the Brooklyn Bridge–City Hall/Chambers Street station is the only one with the new barricades as the MTA evaluates the effectiveness.
Fare and toll evasion cost nearly $700 million in 2022, MTA says
The MTA says it lost nearly $700 million in unpaid fares and tolls in 2022.
"It is a problem well apart from the financial consequences for the MTA. When it feels disorderly at the entrance to our system, that is harmful to everybody," MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said.
Last month, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced a plan to prioritize subway safety and fare beating, including more barriers at 100 additional stations, more NYPD officers and modernized gates.
Fare evasion dropped 26% from June 2024 to December 2024, according to the MTA.
